Image via Ubisoft/@kirill_vision
Without context in hand, everyone would think the lower bracket semifinal of SI 2022 was played in São Paulo, not in Stockholm. And definitely, not a Six Invitational match, the vibe was more BR6. But it was an SI playoffs match, and what a show it was.
Chaos. Clutches. Close rounds. This game saw it all. Even the maps were traditional Brazilian strongholds, with Bank coming up as the decider. The winner of the game would play the lower bracket final against TSM tomorrow, while the loser would be sent home.
What a series. We couldn’t expect less from both sides, MiBR, who in order to be here had to first defeat Six Invitational champions Spacestation Gaming and Ninjas in Pyjamas, and FaZe Clan, a team that was crowned international major champions just four months ago.
The first map was a very atypical Kafe, where the attackers seemed to be the strongest side. MiBR had a great start as the youngsters won four of their six offensive rounds, but what such a usually strong lead in the Russian map quickly evaporated as FaZe Clan would not just equalize the score, but also improve it.
Most precisely, two of FaZe’s five attacking rounds were 1v2 clutches, with Leonardo “Astro” Luis and Lucas “soulz1” Schinke coming up strong for the team. If MiBR had won one of these, a theoretical overtime could have changed it all. Two, and MiBR would have won on FaZe’s pick.
“We have a lot of confidence there. We haven’t lost yet there, we have a big variety of strategies, maybe that’s our best map in my opinion,” said Gabriel “cameram4n” Hespanhol.
Chalet was just the opposite, as it was the turn for MiBR to show their clutching skills. Both Kaique “Faallz” Moireira and Luca “LuKid” Sereno were the team’s heroes for a split second. On attack, nobody could stop the boys in blue. Five rounds, five wins.
“When we banned Smoke we didn’t realize that it would be that hard to defend, but yeah that’s their pick, they have a better Chalet than us but overall we played better today,” added cameram4n.
The series would have a third map, Bank, one of the best maps not just for both teams but also for Brazil as a whole – the perfect way to conclude such a Brazilian-flavored series.
FaZe Clan would find no opposition though. Despite the match eventually ending 7-3, two of MiBR’s rounds were 1v1 clutches on attack, theoretically the strongest side in the map. This time Tassus “reduct” Issi and Enzo “Rappz” Aziz were the men who kept MiBR alive.
But eventually, Bank would fall into the hands of FaZe Clan. The Brazilians record on the map is astonishing, as they have won eight out of nine times since it was reintroduced into the map pool back in September 2021.
“FaZe Clan played very well, and had many pocket strats to counter us. They were very, very, very prepared,” said MiBR’s manager and analyst Guilherme “Guille” Scalfi.
This is farewell for MiBR, but definitely not a goodbye. The Brazilian team had a very difficult 2021 after Felipe “FelipoX” Lucia’s injury. Such a tumultuous year was followed by the LATAM SI 2022 Closed Qualifier, which they won. Then, a fourth-place finish in Group D sent MiBR straight to the lower bracket. No second chances allowed.
“The team is very happy, I can say. We had a hard run. We have been in Sweden for one month, working, working a lot. If you see, our last year was terrible. The injure. The split number three, that almost got to enter in the Major. To start this year seeing that your team came from the qualifier, the most important event in the year, we started in the lower bracket, we defeated NiP, SSG, Oxygen, Liquid. It was a good run, the team is very proud, no one is upset. We have a lot of work to do. If you want to be a champion, you first have to lose. That’s part of the competition,” said Guille.
Meanwhile, FaZe Clan are well-alive in the event. This victory puts them on the verge of qualifying for what would be a second international Grand Final within four months, something that just a few Siege teams can say. “We have been preparing the whole year for this moment. My team and I are prepared for everything,” concluded cameram4n.
FaZe Clan’s next game in the lower bracket will be against TSM, who earlier today lost against Team Empire. The match will be played at 2 pm CET, while the Six Invitational 2022 Grand Final will start at 7:30 pm CET.